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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. land — a country
  7. track — a path
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. present — there
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. craft — boats
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. craft — a skill
  23. chair — a leader
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com